Athlea Perry Burnham, 94, passed away March 29, 2020 at Hanceville Nursing Home. She was born June 15, 1925.
Athlea was the daughter of Sidney and Lora Perry.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her two sisters Nell Smith (Smitty) and Delilah Perry.
She is survived by her son Daryl Burnham (Patricia); daughter Diane Roberts (Jim); grandchildren Brad Burnham (Jennifer), Amy Payne (Brandon), and Anna Araiinejad (Mo); great-grandchildren Elise Payne, Ella Payne, Parker Burnham, and Rogan Araiinejad; brother Bryant Perry; and several nieces and nephews.
Athlea was a longtime member of First Baptist Church in Hanceville, Alabama, where she served many years as recording secretary, choir member, and Sunday school teacher. She owned her own business, Athlea’s Beauty Shop, in Hanceville, for 50 years and served as librarian in her later years at Garden City Public Library.
Athlea loved nature: flower gardening and landscaping her yard; birds and butterflies; meadows, mountains and forests; streams, lakes, and waterfalls-all things outdoors. She enjoyed reading, writing poetry, songs, biographical short stories, and singing and listening to country and gospel music. She delighted in her friends, and loved nothing more than being with her family, especially her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Her faith and trust in God’s providential care is captured in Psalm 121:
I lift up my eyes to the hills-
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
A memorial service for the celebration of her life will be held at a later date.
